Colonials radio analyst and college hockey connoisseur Mike Prisuta contributes regular commentary to RMUColonials.com.
They're fighting to do more than snap a five-game regulation winless streak this weekend.
No wonder the Colonials are bringing in reinforcements for both battles -- the one against Army and the one against cancer.
"Obviously, everybody has been affected by cancer in one way or another, whether it's a friend or a family member," Robert Morris head coach
Derek Schooley observed. "RMU Hockey has been affected by it.
"We wanted to increase awareness, raise money and make sure we remember Mark Workman and congratulate Chris Kushneriuk and Nick Chiavetta on winning the battle against cancer."
And so the Colonials will host their
first Hockey Fights Cancer Weekend as well as Army for a pair of games on Neville Island (5:05 p.m. Saturday, 1:05 p.m. Sunday).
Robert Morris is the first NCAA hockey program to partner with the American Cancer Society in such a fashion.
Workman, a former RMU assistant coach, passed away in February of 2018.
Kushneriuk (who played for the Colonials from 2008-09 through 2011-12) will drop the ceremonial first puck on Saturday.
Chiavetta (2008-09 through 2010-11) will do so on Sunday.
Both will address the RMU players before the Colonials engage Army, which will arrive at the Island Sports Center as the second-place team in the Atlantic Hockey Association (27 points in 14 games), just behind first-place Sacred Heart (30 points in 14 games) and just ahead of third-place RMU (24 points in 13 games).
"Both of these guys are great alums who have been through a tremendous battle," Schooley said. "We wanted to show them we're in the fight with them and that we're proud of them, and that if they can do it anybody who ends up in the battle with cancer can fight."
RMU will wear special lavender jerseys and socks for the two games against Army, the Colonials' third and fourth of the season against the Black Knights of the Hudson. The special apparel will be available to fans via a silent auction, with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. Fans can also contribute at a fundraising page on the American Cancer Society's website, Cancer.org.
RMU has gone 6-5-3 against Army in the schools' last 14 meetings, including a 2-1 overtime victory in the 2015-16 Atlantic Hockey semifinals in Rochester, N.Y. RMU and Army split a two-game series on Oct.19-20 at Army (4-1 Army, 3-1 RMU).
"You know the players, their strengths and weaknesses," Schooley said. "They know your players, your strengths and weaknesses.
"It's a familiar foe."
The difference this time is defenseman Tyler Love (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) will be eligible to join RMU's injury-depleted lineup on Sunday.
Love, a Moon Township native, has been brought aboard from Corpus Christi (Texas) of the NAHL, where he played for current Colonials assistant coach
Ryan Cruthers last season.
"We've done it in the past," Schooley said of adding a player mid-season. "We brought in (junior defenseman)
Nick Jenny at Christmastime a couple of years ago.
"Tyler has a really good compete level, he has the ability to retrieve pucks and the ability to provide depth to a depleted blueline. He should provide a spark to our team."
The Colonials could use one.
They occupied first place in Atlantic Hockey after winning seven of their first eight AHA games. But they haven't won in regulation since beating Bentley, 4-2, on Nov. 16 at Bentley.
RMU won't play again following the Army series until Jan. 4, when it takes on Ontario Tech in an exhibition game in Johnstown.
The next game that counts after this weekend isn't until Jan. 11, when the Colonials meet No. 7 Penn State at PPG Paints Arena.
"We know the situation," Schooley said. "We know we're a little banged up but we can't let it affect our psyche. We have to continue to battle and push.
"One by one we're going to start getting players back healthy. We can't let our attention to detail wane because we're short of healthy people. We have to make sure we continue to do the little things because the little things matter.
"You're not gonna get home for break any sooner, we might as well leave it all on the line."
Especially when there's so much to fight for, on and off the ice.
